We all remember the story of the tortoise and the hare. It’s a silly story, but one with a lesson. The hare really should have won that race, but it ended up losing through a spectacular combination of A.D.D. and narcolepsy. Was there any doubt that one day there would be a rematch?
This time around, the battle was between Tortoise and Gifts from Enola (the hare). GFE started quickly out of the gate, with staff fans voting quickly and often, leaving Tortoise in the dust. But then it was as if the GFE crowd crashed, the result of too much junk food and too many energy drinks; meanwhile, the older, wiser, more experienced Tortoise fans, powered by a leaner, protein-rich diet, continued to check in and creep forward. Slow and steady wins the race.
This is all in good fun, of course. The perpetual passing of the baton is an essential part of the music scene. Without it, our sounds would stagnate and our attention would wane. Few post-rock bands will ever achieve the longevity of Tortoise, but Gifts from Enola has proven that they are in the running. This month, the tortoise defended his crown, but the hare is already gearing for Act III.
1) Tortoise ~ Beacons of Ancestorship
Thrill Jockey
Few artists in the realm of music we now affectionately refer to as "post-rock" are as highly regarded as Tortoise. With a distinctive sound that draws as clearly from electronic music and jazz as it does from rock, Tortoise established themselves as a pioneering ensemble in the '90s underground and indie scene yet remained oddly quiet this decade, offering only two proper albums in the first half of the decade before dropping off the map. With Beacons of Ancestorship, Tortoise explodes back to form with a collection of tunes that combines a consistently tight rhythm-section groove with far more eccentric top layers: from the throwback to '70s prog and krautrock of "Prepare Your Coffin" to the almost raga-sounding "Gigantes" or the rumbling bass, garage-rock lead of "Yinxianghechengqi". The variety of sounds the band is able to achieve without losing the intangible 'it' that makes a Tortoise track a Tortoise track is jaw-dropping, and the fact that not one of the eleven tracks on Beacons of Ancestorship is short of awesome is a testament to the reputation Tortoise has made for themselves. (Lee Stablein)
2) Gifts from Enola ~ From Fathoms
The Mylene Sheath
Taking their name from the very plane that dropped atomic bombs on Japan during WWII, Gifts from Enola have cross-bred their heavy metal ancestors with the children of some compositionally diverse post-rock misfits, culminating in the atomic album From Fathoms. This is definitely not an average post-rock disc. The band from Virginia deftly crafts songs that run the gamut of styles from seaward drifts and jazzy jaunts to head-crunching, mind-exploding hard rock fracases. with dynamic, shape-shifting vocals buried deep in the mix. From start to finish, From Fathoms is as complete and satisfying as post-rock can get, every detail pulsing with genuine vitality and irresistible energy. Technically amazing, blockbuster in scope, and packaged in gorgeous artwork, From Fathoms has it all. BLAM! (Nayt Keane)
3) Peter Broderick ~ Music for Falling from Trees
Erased Tapes/Western Vinyl
Music for Falling from Trees continues Peter Broderick's string of excellent releases. Its focus is to illustrate the psychosis of an assumed lunatic who is trying to maintain his identity in a mental hospital. Through the paradoxically minimalistic approach of piano and layered strings, Broderick creates an emotional ride through apathy, curiosity, fear, anxiety, and gratitude. As Broderick tackles a more thematically linked work than his previous releases, seemingly no sacrifice is made to his normal musical scope and he's shown that his versatile style also extends to soundtracking. At first listen, Music for Falling from Trees might just sound like a pretty album, but once the intitial layers are peeled back, this album will dance its way into the listener's heart forever. (Nikki Benson)
4) Jóhann Jóhannsson ~ And in the Endless Pause There Came the Sound of Bees
NTOV
Jóhann Jóhannsson’s newest disk is a gift to his fans, sold only at concerts on his current tour; but don’t despair, the music is easy to find, as this is the score to the award-winning short film “Varmints,” based on the children’s book by Helen Ward and Marc Craste. While the DVD is not yet available, the film can be purchased from iTunes. And in the Endless Pause tells the story of a world in which the sound of bees is lost in a morass of industrial noise: “There was so much noise that no one could hear themselves think. And so they stopped thinking.” Afterwards, a quiet, badger-like creature attempts to restore balance. The story is sensitively soundtracked by Jóhannsson together with soprano Michaela Srumova and The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, who capture both the sinking loss and the forlorn hope of the central character. The most unified of Jóhannsson’s works to date, And in the Endless Pause is a score that stands on its own, but is rendered heartrending by the accompanying visuals. (Richard Allen)
5) Codes in the Clouds ~ Paper Canyon
Erased Tapes
Is post-rock really dead? Judging by Codes in the Clouds, the answer is clearly no. Genres may fade or be reinvented, but they never die; the likes of Caspian and upcdownc have proven that evolution is the way forward. With their debut album, Paper Canyon, Codes in the Clouds continue the evolution of the purest form of post-rock with a brilliant mix of quiet-loud dynamics, heart-wrenching melodies, and crushing distortion. "We Anchor In Hope" has Mono’s slow yearning build into ferocious noise, "You Are Not What You Think You Are" drives forward relentlessly with Caspian-esque urgency, and closing track "The Distance Between Us" raises a fist in the air to the cry of "epic" and never backs down. Anyone who bears witness to Paper Canyon will quickly proclaim that post-rock is far from dead, and long may remain alive. (James Ould)
6) French Teen Idol ~ El Siete Es La Luz
Self-Released
Each year, the music released by Italian artists seems to get better and better. Ironically, Italy doesn’t have a very nurturing scene of venues and fans, so many of its prominent artists have relocated to France or other parts of Europe. This distancing isn’t just physical, however. Take French Teen Idol, the solo project of Roman artist Andrea Di Carlo, with “French” in his moniker and his latest album titled in Spanish, there is no indication that FTI is Italian. El Siete Es La Luz is a refinement of a sound that Di Carlo has been executing to beautiful effect since his 2005 debut. The waves of crescendo and glitch beats filtered through a pop prism are still present, but the increased use of guitars places this album in the same field as Port-Royal’s seminal Flares. Although Italian artists such as these lack any unifying aesthetic or community, at least they have continued to release top-notch records. (Joseph Sannicandro)
7)Chihei Hatakeyama ~ August
Under the Spire
In this extremely limited (200 copy) release, Chihei Hatakeyama gives us his most ambient work yet, three space age lullabies that are as soft as an August breeze and as beautiful as a Bela Tarr film. The hypnotic twenty-two-minute-long “Grass Pillow” is the best ambient symphony of the year to date, and almost as brilliant as William Basinski's “d|p3.” As with every great ambient album, his music reminds us that time is an illusion, taking us to a place where all the worries of the world cease to matter. I’ve always thought that August was a magical month, but now, thanks to Mr. Hatakeyama, my summer nights have their own special soundtrack. (John Kontos)